Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse
Credit: DH Photo
Mumbai: Union minister Raksha Khadse on Wednesday said she feels like a “sandwich”, caught between senior politicians Eknath Khadse — her father-in-law — and BJP colleague Girish Mahajan amid their ongoing political feud ahead of the local body polls.
Eknath Khadse, an NCP (SP) MLC, and Mahajan, a BJP cabinet minister, both hail from Jalgaon district and frequently engage in verbal duels as they attempt to assert dominance in the region’s politics. Eknath Khadse was earlier a senior BJP leader before quitting the party in 2020.
Speaking to reporters after an election rally in Chopda town of Jalgaon, Raksha Khadse said, “Eknath Khadse is my father-in-law and I have immense respect for him. Girish Mahajan is a senior leader in the party and like a father to me. When differences arise between the two, I get stuck in between. On one side is Nathabhau, my father-in-law, and on the other is Girish Kaka, who is like my father. Their dispute makes me feel like an absolute sandwich.”
Raksha Khadse, the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, is a three-term BJP MP from Raver in north Maharashtra, where the political atmosphere has heated up ahead of the December 2 municipal council elections.
In the escalating tussle, Mahajan recently took aim at Eknath Khadse, claiming “no one recognises him anymore” and alleging that the veteran’s political influence has sharply declined. Khadse, once a powerful BJP leader, had resigned from the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet in 2016 over a controversial Pune land deal and later joined the NCP, aligning with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) after the party’s split.
Mahajan challenged Khadse to secure at least one municipal council victory in Jalgaon district to prove his relevance. He further alleged that Khadse frequently changed positions during elections. On Khadse’s 2016 resignation, Mahajan claimed he had not stepped down voluntarily, but was asked to quit by the party leadership.
Responding to Mahajan’s remarks, Khadse asserted that he resigned within 30 minutes of being asked to do so, out of “moral responsibility”. He insisted he was not forced out and said that unlike him, Mahajan had not resigned despite facing allegations multiple times.
Elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats in Maharashtra will be held on December 2. Results will be declared on December 3.